I Should Have
by Shipperony10
Summary: Short one-shot. His life was nearly perfect. Almost. Nothing had ever made him question his happiness...until now. The thoughts of a man who let Virginia Potts walk away. Small Iron Man 3 spoilers. SMALL.


Disclaimer: Not Mine.

A/N: I've been listening to a Justin Timberlake station on Pandora lately, and I must say it's starting to make me get all sappy. One song keeps playing and it made me think of writing this. I'll let you read first, at the end I'll tell you what song I based this little drabble on. Enjoy!

A/WARNING: Iron Man 3 spoilers, maybe!

Sorry for any mistakes.

I'm still working on the next chapter of Risks and Consequences…sorry it's taking me so long. This week. I promise.

* * *

Weston Bell was filthy rich.

He had worked very industriously, and very enthusiastically to get to the pinnacle of his career. There was no doubt that he was committed to the family business. An inherited trait of his father's.

Since he was old enough to count his allowance, his goal had been to step into his father's shoes as CEO of Future Mechanics.

It had not been without sacrifice, but Weston had succeeded.

He had it all. The house, the cars, the money, and the reputation.

His life was near perfect.

Almost.

Nothing had ever made him question his attainments, or the pleasure that had derived from such accomplishments. Until now.

The news reports began to trickle in as he sat hypnotized with a glass of whiskey.

Terrorists, super soldiers, and Iron Man. Even against all odds, the man had managed to save the day. Yet again. How many more times could he pull it off? Weston questioned as he shook his head with amazement before he drank some of the liquor.

In all honesty, he admired Anthony Stark. Now that was one badass human being. So much passion. So many toys. So much glory.

He sipped some more whiskey before the reporters words brought his eyes back to the screen.

_'…Pepper Potts is alive, and where she needs to be after such an ordeal…'_

Now Weston was not an idiot, nor had he been living under rocks. He had heard, along with the rest of the world, that Tony Stark had managed to steal Virginia Potts for himself. How could he not? Yet he never really believed it to be true, or that she was happy. That was, until he saw her standing in the circle of his embrace.

He had successfully avoided seeing her with him for years.

That was no longer the case. And now, Weston Bell, millionaire and accomplished mechanical engineer, envied Anthony Stark.

Because he, unlike him, had everything in life that could make it…perfect.

Truthfully, Stark needed _nothing_ in life except _her_. And there, the realization sank in, that Weston could have been Tony Stark. He had actually come pretty damn close.

His heart weighed him down almost literally as he exhaled and bent forward at the waist. His elbows helped support him as he leaned on his knees with the glass in both hands. Now empty, and anxiously calling for more.

As the reporter continued to talk about the events in Miami and Tennessee, Weston sat somberly in his plush chair. His surroundings slowly being tuned out by the images in his head.

* * *

"Weston, it's now or never. I hate to put you in this situation, but I need to know that I'm not the only one trying in this relationship." Virginia spoke with her hands on the straps of her duffel bag.

With a frustrated grunt he ran a hand through his brown hair. "Ginny, don't do this. This is such a selfish move." He shook his head.

"Selfish? Really? You of all people have no right to call me that." She huffed angrily at his accusation.

"I can give you everything once I'm CEO, but until then, I have to keep working at being the best company out there. And that will require us moving to New York."

"I don't need everything. I just need you. All I'm asking is for you to consider having two headquarters. Besides, we've been through this before, my life is here now. I moved out here to Los Angeles for you. I've established myself here. I like my job. My opportunities are here."

"You like your job?" Weston's voice increased in intensity. "You're just an Accounting Clerk." Immediately he regretted the words he had spoken. Especially as he witnessed the pain they caused her. Her eyes darkened with rage and disappointment.

"Is that how you feel? Well suddenly everything makes perfect sense." He swallowed the lump in his throat as he saw Virginia hold back tears. "I can't believe you, West. After all this time. After what I have given up for you…" She shook herself before she could say too much. "Good luck in New York. I know you'll be a great CEO someday." She picked up her duffel bag and moved to walk out, but slowly she turned under the doorway. "Will you accept some advice?" He nodded slowly. "For the next girl…buy her flowers, before you offer her _everything_."

* * *

As the memory faded before his eyes, Weston sighed long and hard.

She had been the best relationship he ever had, and he let it slip right through his fingers. He had let her walk away without so much as a rebuttal. How young and foolish that turned out to be.

It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. To devote his efforts and time to the business his family had created for him and their future generations. Now, clearly, the least he should have done was compromise. Or work out a way to keep Virginia in his life.

He chastised himself.

Because now more than ever, it was painfully obvious that another man had done exactly that.

Slowly he stood and walked towards the bar. For a second he considered just pouring another glass of whiskey. But he soon decided against it as he grasped the bottle in one hand, and the tumbler in the other.

After pouring another glass, he looked up at the flat screen.

There he was.

The man that had willingly given up who he used to be.

For her.

The woman Weston had willingly allowed to walk out of his life.

He observed them. The smallest of smiles on both of their faces spoke volumes. He protectively draped his arm over her shoulders as he reached to hold her hand over his heart.

Had he been so wrong? It was possible. And as he saw them on the screen, he knew he could never take it back.

* * *

"Mmmm." He moaned right before he broke their kiss. "Alright, are you ready?" Weston asked as she adjusted his tie.

"Yes." She nodded with a wide smile up at him.

She squeezed his hand when they stepped out of the car, and he hurriedly moved along.

They walked up the stairs towards a sea of people gathered at the entrance. He led. A grin in place as he shook hands and shared small talk with renown engineers and business owners. She walked behind him the entire time.

* * *

If his memory served him correctly, they shared not one dance that night. And from the moment they stepped out of the town car, he had engrossed himself in business talk, not once taking her by his side to softly share touches or glances.

Weston laughed angrily to himself as he shook his head. She had asked for a dance. He had promised her they would.

She never brought it up that they hadn't.

Never.

What an idiot he was.

Nearly an hour had passed as he sat slumped in the chair. The bottle of his finest whiskey lay sideways at his feet, not one drop left.

_'Well folks, that does it for us here at IEGP News. Thank you for joining us as we witnessed the heroic acts of Iron Man and his fair maiden. We're thankful that we're once again safe, and we wish Tony Stark and Pepper Potts the best of luck. Good night.'_

A sudden urge to break something ran from his heart out to his fingertips, but his current drunken stupor allowed him to do nothing more than sit in his own self-pity.

Until he realized he was truly happy for her, and that despite the pain he felt for having lost her, he hoped she really was happy.

Just like that, the need to destroy was replaced by the need to create. So with the hazy fog of the alcohol that accompanied him, he gathered the supplies, and began to write.

**_My Dear Virginia,_**

**_I hope this letter finds you well. _**

**_I watched the recent events unfold before my eyes, and I can't say I've ever been more torn than right now. _**

**_Please let me start by saying how relieved I am that you are safe._**

**_Second…well, I'm not sure where to start from here. I guess this letter is to ask for forgiveness. To offer my deepest apologies for how it ended with us. I have to say, you have been on my mind with every step of my success. But it wasn't until today that I truly grasped that I am both the luckiest and luckiest man in the world. I was fortunate enough to have you in my life. Yet, a deeper part of me has been condemned with a great sense of regret._**

**_Seeing you and Stark together, alive and living for each other, struck a chord in me so deep. I slowly realized that I could have been the one holding you in my arms. Kissing you. Protecting you. Loving you._**

**_I'm sorry because I know I could have been him if I would have done all the things I should have done. Should have…so many things…that I can't fit them all in this letter. And I don't believe I have to, because I know you are reading this and agreeing with me._**

**_Please forgive me. _**

**_I wish nothing but the best in life for you, Virginia. I hope he does everything he can to keep you by his side. I hope he loves you like you deserve to be loved. I hope he realizes now, before it's too late, that you are worth more than everything else in his life. I hope he deserves your love._**

**_More than I ever did._**

**_Take care my Ginny._**

**_Yours,_**

**_Weston._**

As he signed the letter, he unconsciously wiped at a tear that had managed its way down his face. He shook his foggy head before he sealed the envelope. Unsure about what to write on the face of the package, he sat and pulled out his phone. Not knowing much about Stark Industries except that it was based in California, he searched for a possible address.

His hand guided the pen over the surface of the paper, but his mind wandered. He thought through the haze about what it would have been like with her. Would they be as happy as she appeared to be with him?

Weston looked at the finished product in his hand. He let out a deep sigh and nodded his head.

He would send it out in the morning, and hope that it would get to her.

His mind was at peace. And his heart no longer weighed as heavy. Because he knew he had been wrong, and he had just admitted it. If not to her, than to himself.

He should have done so many things differently.

He hadn't.

Oh how he hoped that Anthony Stark would.

For her.

**The End**

**So, have you guys guessed the song that inspired this? Ok, I'll tell you, but only because I like you. Every time I listen to When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars, I could not help but think about writing something like this. I always pictured an old love of Pepper's being at the center of this story, because I love Tony and Pepper's relationship, and this would help show how someone would feel at seeing how beautiful those two are together. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Hopefully Risks and Consequences will be up no later than Friday! Thank you for reading. *bows***


End file.
